Recent visitors to Hanway Street may have noticed a new addition to our office. D J Roberts, the London-based multidisciplinary artist who earlier this summer produced the set of posters commemorating our 50th anniversary, has once again returned to Soho Housing – this time, in neon.

Inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities and the memories of its protagonist, Lucie Manette’s settlement in Soho from revolutionary France, D J produced an enlarged neon replica of Dickens’ handwritten version of the line ‘The echoing footsteps of years’ – how Dickens described Lucie’s memories of Soho, and something that strikes a chord with many of our long-time residents.

After a rather infamous start – has anyone heard the tale of the disappearing neon? – the installation can now be found hanging in our Hanway Street office.

We hope you have the opportunity to see it soon. It’s a wonderful mark of our 50th anniversary, and a reminder of our purpose at Soho Housing. 

Many thanks D J, and many thanks to our residents for making this a fantastic 50th anniversary year.